Incident Overview
On August 5, 2012, at approximately 0912 eastern daylight time, Republic Airlines, Inc., operating as US Airways Express, flight 3133, an Embraer ERJ 170-200 LR (registration N134HQ), encountered turbulence while over the Atlantic Ocean near Hilton Head, South Carolina, during an en-route descent. The flight was operating under Part 121 of the Federal Aviation Regulations as a scheduled domestic passenger service from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) to Jacksonville International Airport (JAX). Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the altitude and location of the turbulence, and the flight was conducted under an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan.
Crew and Passenger Details
The flight crew consisted of an airline transport rated captain and a first officer, along with two flight attendants. There were 71 passengers on board. No injuries were reported among the crew or other passengers, but one passenger sustained serious injuries. The aircraft was not damaged.
Sequence of Events
According to a chronological summary of communications, the flight was cleared for takeoff at 0755 and proceeded towards its destination. Air traffic control (ATC) communications were transferred to several different facilities during the flight.
When the flight was near Charleston, South Carolina, while in contact with the Jacksonville Air Route Traffic Control Center (Jacksonville ARTCC), the crew began a descent from the cruise altitude. The captain, aware of deteriorating weather ahead, turned on the seatbelt sign early as a safety precaution. The flight attendant assigned to the rear of the cabin subsequently made the seatbelt announcement.
During the descent, the flight encountered what the captain described as a small pocket of light to moderate turbulence lasting approximately 2 to 3 seconds, after which the ride smoothed out, with some chop reported for the remainder of the flight. About one minute after the turbulence encounter, a flight attendant contacted the flight deck and reported that a passenger had been injured. The passenger had gotten up from her seat after the seatbelt sign was illuminated and the announcement was made. The captain made an announcement emphasizing the need to remain seated with seatbelts fastened and requested that medical equipment be standing by at the destination airport.
There was no record that the pilot advised ATC of the turbulence encounter. The flight continued to Jacksonville and landed without incident, where the injured passenger was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Passenger Account
The injured passenger was traveling with a relative, who reported that a connecting flight prior to flight 3133 had been delayed, causing them to rush to board the accident flight. Before the turbulence, the relative heard an announcement to fasten seatbelts, but the injured passenger believed this was because the flight was close to the destination airport, not due to weather conditions. Consequently, the passenger left her seat and walked to the lavatory. While she was out of her seat, the flight encountered what the relative described as "heavy turbulence which threw her to the floor," resulting in her injuries. The relative and a flight attendant moved her to another seat, where she remained until landing.